Military Bowl

S.J. State (10-2) vs. Bowling Green (8-4)

Dec. 6, 2012

Written by

The Clarion-Ledger

Dec. 27, 2 p.m., ESPN

Overall watchability grade: 5.2 (out of 10)

Matchup: 5 (x2)

A Military Bowl showdown between San Jose State and Bowling Green doesn't push us the edge of our seats, but at least the two teams play good defense (both teams are in the top 25 nationally in scoring D). SJSU coach Mike MacIntyre has managed to pull a team from a 1-12 record in 2010 to an eye-catching 10-2 record in 2012 (psst, big-school athletic directors have taken notice). The Falcons have done well to get here, too, winning seven of their last eight games in the tougher-than-expected MAC, which produced seven bowl teams.

Star power: 4

Both teams have good defenses, and the best player on the BGSU sideline is likely defensive tackle Chris Jones, who ranks in the top 10 nationally in both sacks (1.04) and tackles for loss (1.6) per game and was named the MAC's defensive player of the year. He'll go head to head with David Fales, who has thrown for 3,798 yards and 31 touchdowns while completing an amazing 72 percent of his passes. Fales is the best quarterback to call San Jose State home since Jeff Garcia was breaking records there in 1992.

Location: 8

Both teams have good defenses, and the best player on the BGSU sideline is likely defensive tackle Chris Jones, who ranks in the top 10 nationally in both sacks (1.04) and tackles for loss (1.6) per game and was named the MAC's defensive player of the year. He'll go head to head with David Fales, who has thrown for 3,798 yards and 31 touchdowns while completing an amazing 72 percent of his passes. Fales is the best quarterback to call San Jose State home since Jeff Garcia was breaking records there in 1992.

Schedule: 4

A 2 p.m. kickoff on Dec. 27 will not draw a lot of viewers, but a competitive game might. Three games will be played today, and this one may be the second- or third-best game on the docket. Fans will be clamoring for a big game as the higher-profile games approach near New Year's Eve and Day, so this could be a nice surprise or a Thursday dud.